espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈe-spē-ə-ˌnäzh 
-ˌnäj
-ˌnäj
-nij
Canadian also -ˌnazh;
ˌe-spē-ə-ˈnäzh;
i-ˈspē-ə-nij
: the practice of spying or using spies to obtain information about the plans and activities especially of a foreign government or a competing company
industrial espionage
Examples of espionage in a Sentence
He was charged with several counts of espionage.
the acts of espionage on behalf of the Confederacy carried on by Belle Boyd and Rose Greenhow
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the past year, a group of lawyers recorded 486 state treason and espionage cases brought against Russian scientists, bureaucrats, military figures, and other government employees.
—
Anna Nemtsova, Time, 23 May 2026
Joby filed a suit in November, alleging corporate espionage against Archer and George Kivork, a former Joby employee who left to work for Archer.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
His career, his real identity, and his mission are pitted against his heart, hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 May 2026
As the league investigation intensified, Southampton admitted to a season-long pattern of espionage, confessing to spying on three different teams since December.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for espionage
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anna Nemtsova, Time, 23 May 2026
Joby filed a suit in November, alleging corporate espionage against Archer and George Kivork, a former Joby employee who left to work for Archer.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
His career, his real identity, and his mission are pitted against his heart, hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 May 2026
As the league investigation intensified, Southampton admitted to a season-long pattern of espionage, confessing to spying on three different teams since December.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for espionage
Cite this Entry
“Espionage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/espionage. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh
-näj
-näj
-ˌnij
: the practice of spying : the use of spies
Legal Definition
espionage
noun
es·pi·o·nage
ˈes-pē-ə-ˌnäzh, -ˌnäj, -nij
: the practice of gathering, transmitting, or losing through gross negligence information relating to the defense of the U.S. with the intent that or with reason to believe that the information will be used to the injury of the U.S. or the advantage of a foreign nation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
